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20-24mm Low Light Performance

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OldHickory View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OldHickory Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 20-24mm Low Light Performance
    Posted: January/04/2014 at 12:34
I am looking for a small scope to put on a 308 carbine. The rifle will be used for deep woods and swamp hunting deer. Will a 20-24mm objective scope, with a heavy or German #4 type reticle perform well enough in that scenario for the 1/2 hour before and after rules that we have in Minnesota? Your help is greatly appreciated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2014 at 12:54
Alot of that will depend upon the quality of the scope u buy. If it is a scope with good glass then yes that would work fine. I have a leupold vx3 1.5-5x20 and a trijicon 1-4x-24 and a sightron bigsky 1.25-5x20 and all of them work fine in that role because of the glass quality
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OldHickory Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2014 at 13:01
Thank you for the reply. I have been looking at the VX1 shotgun 1-4x20, and the Nikon Monarch 1-4x20. Researching low light performance scopes,  most of the "tests" I find are 40-56mm. I am hoping to keep a lightweight compact scope on this rifle.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2014 at 15:54
You will need to spend more money to get decent low light performance, I have tried a lot of them.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2014 at 16:38
I had a Nikon Monarch UCC 2X7 from the nineties that was very bright!  Certainly bright enough for after sundown!  Didn't cost an arm and a leg and was a great scope.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OldHickory Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2014 at 16:38
ccoker,
Leupold VXR more, or more than that?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/09/2014 at 09:37
I owned one VX1, a 3-9x40 which I mounted on a 22 Magnum rifle.  I took it to the range, tried the scope, was dissatisfied and sold it immediate after that first use.  I have heard good reports on both the New VX2 and the VX-R.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anweis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/09/2014 at 09:55
I have a Nikon Monarch 1-4 x 20, 1" tube with the German no 4 reticle.  It is mounted on a very small and light .223. I have hunted in deep woods and brush on dark evenings with this scope and i can tell you that i would not hesitate to take it anywhere to hunt anything and anytime. I shot coyotes in prairie at 200 yards with nothing but moon for light, hogs in heavy brush on dark mornings, deer at 70 yards in the woods 25 minutes after sunset...No problem. 
The optics and the reticle are about as good as they get for hunting, at this price point. Of course, you get better optics for $1,000. However, the reticle is fantastic. Many iterations of this German no. 4 have the thick bars too far apart, or the thin lines too thin, or whatever. This Monarch is perfect for big game hunting.  I did try this scope on a jute bag (think brown) filled with straw placed 50 yards away in the woods behind my house in November. To make it worse, i placed the bag exactly westwards, to be hidden by the glare of sunset. 
Starting with sunset and ending 35 minutes after sunset, the scope worked just fine. There was no glare or ghosting. The thin bars were visible until sunset + 28 minutes. Maybe more on days with clear skies. At 2x, the thick bars allowed me to bracket and aim well past the legal shooting time. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anweis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/09/2014 at 10:10
as far as illuminated scopes go, i have never looked through a better one, costing more than $300. I can tell you that at the lower price point, the illuminated dot or reticle may actually distract your vision. You would be looking at something drab colored in a drab colored environment, a blur in low light.  I am sure that $2000 illuminated scopes are great, but the cheap ones i looked through had too much glare in the red dots, too much light bleeding. I often found myself looking at the dot instead of through the scope and aiming. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/09/2014 at 11:07
I would agree on passing on cheap illuminated reticles for the above reason and go with as good of glass as you can justify spending and a bold reticle.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OldHickory Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/09/2014 at 14:05
anweis and ccoker,
Thank you for your replies. I have been looking at that Nikon. I have also toyed with the idea of getting the Leupold VX3, and have a custom post reticle placed in it. Is the glass in the VX3 noticeably better than the VX2?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tejas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/10/2014 at 01:12
This might be a good option and already has a good low light reticle.

http://swfa.com/Leupold-15-5x20-VX-3-Riflescope-P12634.aspx

For 100 bucks more you can get illumination though. The VX R illumination is pretty good. You can turm it down low enough to use at night.

http://swfa.com/Leupold-125-4x20-VX-R-30mm-Riflescope-P48030.aspx
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/10/2014 at 23:45
I have a Leupold VX3 1.5-5x20 on my 9.3mm x74R.  This scope has the #4 heavy reticle and works great out to 100 yards in all legal light conditions.  Mine is not illuminated but is quite bright and very clear optics for $399.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2014 at 19:17
Trijicon 1-4x24 Accu-Point 30mm Rifle Scope Red Triangle Trijicon 1-4x24 Accu-Point 30mm Rifle Scope
Stock # - TR24R
  • Matte
  • Red Triangle
  • 30mm
$892.50 

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